Histopathological effects of copper and lithium in the ramshorn snail, Marisa cornuarietis (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia)

The aim of this study was to determine and quantify effects of copper and lithium in tissues of early juveniles of the ramshorn snail, Marisa cornuarietis. For this purpose, hatchlings of M. cornuarietis were exposed for 7 days to a range of five different sublethal concentrations of copper (5, 10, 25, 50, and 75 μg Cu²⁺ L⁻¹) and lithium (50, 100, 200, 1000, and 5000 μg Li⁺ L⁻¹). Both metals changed the tissue structure of epidermis, hepatopancreas, and gills, varying between slight and strong reactions, depending on the copper and lithium concentration. The histopathological changes included alterations in epithelial and mucous cells of the epidermis, swelling of hepatopancreatic digestive cells, alterations in the number of basophilic cells, abnormal apices of digestive cells, irregularly shaped cilia and changes in the amount of mucus in the gills. The most sensible organ in M. cornuarietis indicating Cu or Li pollution is the hepatopancreas (LOECs were 10 μg Cu²⁺ L⁻¹, or 200 μg Li⁺ L⁻¹). In epidermis, mantle and gills relevant effects occurred with higher LOECs (50 μg Cu²⁺ L⁻¹, or 1000 μg Li⁺ L⁻¹). Base on LOECs, our results indicated that histopathological endpoints are high sensitivity to copper and lithium compared to endpoints for embryonic developmental toxicity.     

Integrated analysis of the effects of agricultural management on nitrogen fluxes at landscape scale

The integrated modelling system INITIATOR was applied to a landscape in the northern part of the Netherlands to assess current nitrogen fluxes to air and water and the impact of various agricultural measures on these fluxes, using spatially explicit input data on animal numbers, land use, agricultural management, meteorology and soil. Average model results on NH₃ deposition and N concentrations in surface water appear to be comparable to observations, but the deviation can be large at local scale, despite the use of high resolution data. Evaluated measures include: air scrubbers reducing NH₃ emissions from poultry and pig housing systems, low protein feeding, reduced fertilizer amounts and low-emission stables for cattle. Low protein feeding and restrictive fertilizer application had the largest effect on both N inputs and N losses, resulting in N deposition reductions on Natura 2000 sites of 10% and 12%, respectively.     

ZnO/LixNi1-xO光催化降解甲基橙的研究

采用溶胶凝胶法制备LixNi1-xO和ZnO粉体,利用球磨法制备ZnO/LixNi1-xO复合粉体,以紫外光为光源,通过降解甲基橙,研究了锂掺杂及n-p复合对氧化镍的光催化性能影响。结果表明：当投放量为0.1 g/L,x≤0.075（摩尔分数）的锂掺杂氧化镍均比未掺杂氧化镍的光催化活性高。当锂掺杂摩尔分数为0.025,投放量为0.4 g/L时锂掺杂氧化镍的光催化活性最佳,甲基橙最高降解率达到93.1%。当ZnO/Li0.025Ni0.975O在质量比为1∶1,投放量为0.2 g/L时光催化活性最佳,甲基橙最高降解率达到98.1%。     

Printed wiring boards for mobile phones: characterization and recycling of copper

The popularization of mobile phones, combined with a technological evolution, means a large number of scrap and obsolete equipment are discarded every year, thereby causing economic losses and environmental pollution. In the present study, the printed wiring boards scrap of mobile phones were characterized in order to recycle some of the device components, using techniques of mechanical processing, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy. The use of the techniques of mechanical processing (milling, particle size classification, magnetic and electrostatic separation) was an efficient alternative to obtain a concentrated fraction (mainly iron in the magnetic fraction and copper in the conductive fraction) and another fraction containing polymers and ceramics. At the end of mechanical processing, a concentrated fraction of metals could be obtained with an average concentration of 60% copper. This concentrated fraction in metals was dissolved in aqua regia and sent to electrowinning to recover 92% of the dissolved copper. The obtained cathodes have a copper content above 95%, which demonstrates the technical feasibility of recovery of copper using the techniques of mechanical processing, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy.     

粉煤灰基层状金属氧化物对水中活性红X-3B的吸附

以粉煤灰(FA)为原料,采用共沉淀法制备了层状双金属氢氧化物(LDH)和层状金属氧化物(LMO,也称LDO),并采用XRD和BET技术进行了表征。比较了FA、LDH、LMO对活性红X-3B染料(X-3B)的吸附效果;考察了LMO吸附X-3B的影响因素,并探讨了吸附机理。XRD表征结果表明,LMO在吸附X-3B后重新恢复LDH层状结构。BET表征结果表明,LMO的比表面积大于LDH。吸附实验结果表明,3种吸附剂对X-3B吸附效果的优劣顺序为:LMOLDHFA;在初始X-3B质量浓度为50 mg/L、LMO投加量为2.0 g/L、吸附温度为25℃、吸附pH为7、吸附时间为30 min的条件下,X-3B去除率可达98.1%;LMO对X-3B的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附方程,饱和吸附量为129.53 mg/g,且吸附过程可用准二级动力学方程描述。     

金属冶炼进口物料的固体废物鉴别方法

建立了金属冶炼进口物料的固体废物鉴别方法,并利用该方法对海关查扣的3种金属冶炼进口物料进行了固体废物鉴别。鉴别结果显示:物料1、2和3的自然属性分别为砷含量超标铜精矿、锰阳极泥、回转窑氧化锌,产生来源分别为有害物质超标的产品、污染控制设施产生的物质、有意识加工的目标产物;物料1和2属于我国禁止进口的固体废物,物料3不属于固体废物。本文建立的固体废物鉴别方法可行,可为金属冶炼进口物料的固体废物鉴别和监管提供参考。     

Toxicity of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO, Al2O3 and TiO2 to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Limited information is available on the environmental behavior and associated potential risk of manufactured oxide nanoparticles (NPs). In this research, toxicity of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO, Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ were examined to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with Escherichia coli as a food source. Parallel experiments with dissolved metal ions from NPs were also conducted. The 24-h median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) and sublethal endpoints were assessed. Both NPs and their bulk counterparts were toxic, inhibiting growth and especially the reproductive capability of the nematode. The 24-h LC₅₀ for ZnO NPs (2.3 mg L⁻¹) and bulk ZnO was not significantly different, but significantly different between Al₂O₃ NPs (82 mg L⁻¹) and bulk Al₂O₃ (153 mg L⁻¹), and between TiO₂ NPs (80 mg L⁻¹) and bulk TiO₂ (136 mg L⁻¹). Oxide solubility influenced the toxicity of ZnO and Al₂O₃ NPs, but nanoparticle-dependent toxicity was indeed observed for the investigated NPs.     

Leaching of copper and zinc from spent antifouling paint particles

Leaching of Cu and Zn from a composite of spent antifouling paint particles, containing about 300 mg g⁻¹ and 110 mg g⁻¹ of the respective metals, was studied in batch experiments. For a given set of simulated environmental conditions, release of Cu was independent of paint particle concentration due to attainment of pseudo-saturation, but Zn was less constrained by solubility effects and release increased with increasing particle concentration. Leaching of Cu increased but Zn decreased with increasing salinity, consistent with mechanisms governing the dissolution of Cu₂O in the presence of chloride and Zn acrylates in the presence of seawater cations. Because of complex reaction kinetics and the presence of calcium carbonate in the paint matrix, metal leaching appeared to be greater at 4 °C than 19 °C under many conditions. These findings have important environmental and biological implications regarding the deliberate or inadvertent disposal of antifouling paint residues.     

Seven thousand years in the service of humanity—the history of copper, the red metal

Measured by weight, copper is the third most important metal used by man. The annual value of its 2007 output was on a par with the GDP of e.g. Ukraine. Copper is also one of the oldest metals, its employment going back 7000 years. For millennia, it was predominantly employed for decorative purposes, coinage and in warfare. Technical breakthroughs in antiquity, like smelting and alloying, expanded its production and enhanced its utility. Copper's true heyday occurred after 1850, with the usage of electricity. In the period since then, volumes increased 300-fold, while costs and prices declined. With impressive progress in the technology of its production and consumption, the red metal has been able to hold its own, despite the emergence over history of formidable substitutes like iron, aluminum, plastics and optic fiber.     

Assessing the long-term supply risks for mineral raw materials—a combined evaluation of past and future trends

This paper develops a method for identifying and assessing long-term supply risks for mineral raw materials. The method is based on a combined evaluation of past and future supply and demand trends. By analysing raw material boom and bust cycles over the past 50 years, we have quantified indicators and defined benchmarks for identifying critical market situations. By applying the method, risks for supply shortage may be identified at an early stage. In addition, a numerical evaluation model has been developed for better comparison between various mineral raw materials. Compared to other assessment methods this method uses specific benchmarks for each raw material to better assess supply risks. The method is embedded within a systematic and comprehensive analytical approach.